Comment by geoffb on Akrasia, hyperbolic discounting, and picoeconomics · 2009-03-31T11:41:20.272Z · LW · GW

I generally object to use of the term rational as a moral pejorative as the way its used in the article. We are all dealing with imperfect information, quantum uncertainty and human identity issues. We may suck at it, but the advice to just be more "rational" is insulting to people who are trying their best in an imperfect world. If you think discounting or valuing the future is so easy that you can bandy about words like rational, then I can show you how to make a killing in the mortgage backed securities market.